Tip #4: Comparing Turbo Versus Standard Speed

Since sit and go poker first became popular, the choice over whether to play turbo or standard blinds has been fiercely debated. This article will look at the pros and cons of the different formats – giving you the information you need to make the right (and most profitable) choice for you.

Firstly we need to establish what we mean by turbo blinds, as this is different at each poker site – and can often have a blurred boundary with ‘ultra turbo SNGs‘ or ‘super turbo SNG’ games. Turbo blinds typically last 5 minutes and result in games which continue for between 70 and 90 hands. Turbo games on Stars and Full Tilt fit into this category, which also includes the ‘speed’ games at Party Poker.

When comparing a 5 minute blind game with a 15 minute blind level game, there are two critical factors to take into account. Firstly the time or scope for your skill edge to establish itself. Secondly, the profits you can make from each blind structure in a set period of time.

Standard blinds give you the most time for your skill advantage over your opponents to show. This means that, everything else being equal, you should be able to win more money playing in a game with longer blind levels. Of course, the number of chips you have somewhat restricts your skill edge – however, giving ‘bad’ opponents more time will generally lead them to make more mistakes.

With turbo blinds the skill set required is different. Since you will reach the higher blind levels faster then a knowledge of push / fold poker will increase your returns, while the post-flop play of the early stages will be shorter. Opponents will make many mistakes at the bubble while the blinds are high – giving those players who have taken the time to learn mathematical models such as ICM a clear advantage.

All else being equal standard blinds should be more profitable on a per game basis. Yet we recommend that you look carefully at the turbo sit and goes instead. The reason is that, you can play so many more of these games per hour that you can make more money overall, even with a lower return per game.

For example, let us imagine that you play 4 games at once. In an ‘average’ hour this is 4 standard games or 8 turbo games. If your return for the each of the standard games is $3 and your return for the turbo games is $2 you could make and extra $4 per hour playing turbo games – and over many hours this kind of edge will make a big difference.

Finally, many sites have lower fees for the turbo sit and go tournaments when compared to the standard games – this can add a further boost to your profits. We recommend Poker Stars, where the fee is lower and the game selection the best anywhere online – use marketing code sitandgotips.com when you register to claim your 100% to $50 bonus!